1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for performing a key input by using a Soft Input Panel (SIP) in a portable terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the improvement of the performance of electronic devices, a recent electronic device provides various functions instead of one simple function. For example, a portable terminal, such as a tablet Personal Computer (PC) or a smart phone, provides countless various functions of a multimedia player, an e-book reader, a text editor, a video game console, and the like.
It is usual that such a recent portable terminal is provided in such a manner as to include a display unit providing a touch screen function. A user enters text through a SIP, instead of through a keyboard implemented by hardware.
Namely, it is usual that text is entered through the SIP into the recent portable terminal. However, a text field, into which text can be entered, and a SIP needs to be simultaneously displayed within a limited display screen. Accordingly, problems occur in entering text. Problems which can occur during entering of text will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1A through 1C.
FIGS. 1A through 1C illustrate entering text according to the prior art, and show an example of adding a new contact number to a telephone directory among various examples of entering text.
In a telephone directory as shown in FIG. 1A, a user can first select a soft menu 10, and can add a contact number. When the soft menu 10 is selected (for example, when the soft menu 10 is touched), the screen as shown in FIG. 1A is changed to a setting screen for adding a contact number, as shown in FIG. 1B.
The user can select (for example, can touch) a text field, into which text is intended to be entered among text fields 20 and 30, on a screen as shown in FIG. 1B. When the text field is selected, the relevant text field is focused in order to enable the entering of text.
For example, on the screen as shown in FIG. 1B, when a text field 20 enabling the addition of a name of a contact number is selected, a portable terminal focuses on the text field 20 through the blinking of a cursor 21. At this time, text that the user enters through a SIP 50, is entered into only the focused text field 20.
Meanwhile, when the SIP 50 is displayed, a display screen is divided into a display area 100a, in which text fields are displayed, and a display area 100b, in which a SIP 50 is displayed. This configuration implies that all text fields cannot be displayed in the display area enabling the display of text fields.
Accordingly, when the prior art is used, when the user intends to identify a list of text fields other than text fields 20 and 30 in FIG. 1B which are being displayed (or when the user intends to insert text into a relevant text field), the user can enter a scroll input (for example, a scroll touch input 60), and can request the display of the list of other text fields.
For example, on the display screen as shown in FIG. 1B, the user can enter a scroll input for scrolling the display area 100a in order to identify a text field located below the text field 30. As a result, the text field (for example, a text field 40 for entering of an e-mail address) located below the text field 30 is displayed as shown in FIG. 1C.
However, when the prior art as described above is used, the text field 20 which has been kept focused in the previous step in order to enter text, is no longer displayed on the display screen as shown in FIG. 1C. Accordingly, the prior art has a problem in that the user cannot identify text which is being entered into the text field 20.
Accordingly, the user needs to again perform the scroll of the display area 100a in order to display the text field 20, and needs to continuously enter text into the text field 20. Otherwise, the user needs to select the text field 30 or the text field 40 in such a manner as to focus on the text field 30 or the text field 40 in order to enter text into the text field 30 or the text field 40.
Namely, in the case of the prior art, a text field which is being focused (namely, into which text is being entered) is not displayed by a scroll operation activated by the user. Accordingly, the prior art has several inconveniences occurring in the case of entering text into a text field.
Accordingly, when text is entered into multiple text fields by using the SIP, a need exists for a method and an apparatus for entering text, which is more convenient to a user when the text is entered into multiple text fields in a portable terminal.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.